21st Week in Japan, 29 Weeks

Hey everybody! 

This week was a finding week. We put in over 25 hours of finding this week. I was definitely tired this week. But it was fun. In the area that I am in right now, we are used to teaching all the time and not so much finding. But this week I got a little bit of the taste of what country area will probably be like. And because the likeliness of me transferring after this transfer is over is very high, maybe the lord is prepping me for the area I will be going to! 

Our investigators, for the most part, we couldn't meet with this week.Everyone was busy because of the 3 day weekend. But we did meet with Fujimoto san, Soda san, Morikawa san (new), and Ono san. Fujimoto san accepted the Book of Mormon, Soda san has a better grip on the Atonement now, Morikawa san became a new investigator and we taught her about Joseph Smith. I don't know if she is listening because I am a gaijin, or if she is actually interested in the gospel. But for now she is listening so we are gonna find her needs, and teach to those needs! Ono san, Ono san,  Ono san. We have been teaching him for so long. Every time we visit him, a new problem, a new disagreement, a new excuse always pops up. He doesnt want to progress. He really only likes the company of the missionaries because he is alone all the time. Elder Yoshikawa insists on teaching him still, but I think we should drop him.  He wants to be an eternal investigator and we don't have time to waste with those who don't want to move forward with the gospel. I want to teach and find those who are searching for the truth. 

The language barrier was a problem this week. Elder Yoshikawa and I had quite a few miss communications  between the two of us. Because of that we weren't  unified as a companionship, and therefore the spirit couldn't be with us. Being unified with your comp is so important. During Church I had a mini revelation. I need to work harder on the language. I am tired of not being able to  communicate with me comp., my investigators, and the members. I cant make relationships with anyone unless it has been in English. So I am going to work harder.

Oh yeah I might have forgot to mention this but 2 weeks ago on thursday I baptized one of the sisters investigators! It was so cool! The baptism prayer in Japanese is so awesome!

Ok Ill email you all next week!

New tie clip and Baptism!

New tie clip

 I baptized one of the sisters investigators! It was so cool!

20th Week in Japan, 28 Weeks

And......I didn't transfer! yeah.....

	Jul 13 (7 days ago)

I am still in Moiwa! And my companion is still Elder Yoshikawa! This will be my fourth transfer in my bean area! I like Moiwa but their is a lot of street contacting here. I really dont like street contacting. People in the city are really mean and they either yell at you, hit you, or pretend like your dirt or don't even exist. So that is probably why I stayed. I wont leave the city till I like to street. So im going to gombarimasu!

This week we did a lot of housing. A lot of housing. Personally I like to ride my bike to the boondock areas of Moiwa because missionaries don't like to dendo far away from the city. So we went up a lot of mountains and hills this week. My legs are feeling a lot stronger now:p Although we weren't able to visit a lot of investigators this week, we made a lot of appointments.  Hopefully they will all turn out with interest.

Fun stuff, Yoshikawa Choro got hit by a car. Dont worry he is fine. He braked just enough for only a bruise.

Sorry for no pictures this computer is not very good. Short on time gotta run Ill try to email again later today!

19th Week in Japan, 27 Weeks

Hey everybody! 

This week was pretty interesting. At DTM (District Training Meeting) one of the workshops we were asked to practice doing missionary work like a kiyu yaku seisho (old testament) prophet! That was the coolest thing ever! Moses and all those old school prophets were always way bold and didnt care what people said about them. I like that:p Next day we had Nakatsuka Kaicho's intro party in Atsu Betsu! He is super cool! But definitely Japanese. His english is ok, but I dont know if I will be able to explain myself in an interview to where he will understand how I feel. But because he is the Mission President, Heavenly Father will help him. After the Zone conference party, the AP's, Evans Kaicho and Shimai, and a bunch of others (including myself) went and ate okonomiyaki (cabbage pancake thing that is fantastic!). Friday was the 4th of July! We made massive burgers! (They are a little expensive here, but it was well worth it:p) 

Our Investigator pool has been a little small, thankfully, Heavenly Father lead us to some other great people. Kitamura san, is my favorite as of yet. She had been going to some protestant church way out in the boondocks because she liked the idea of everyone praying and being together. She was also thinking about being baptized but wasnt sure if it was the right thing to do yet. She immediately came to the gen kan after we introduced ourselves through the aiphone (camera, doorbell thing). That is like a dream for missionaries:) Anyways we were able to talk to her for a while and she wants to learn. She thinks our religion is a little strict, but when she sees the blessings that come from keeping the commandments, she will see the freedom they bring. We are actually going to visit her today in 4 hours. Unfortunately we will have to pass her to the Sisters because her husband is never home and doesn't want to listen:/  Young san, Nagano san, Ran san, Ono san, Aoki san, Soda san, and Ando san couldnt meet this week. So we visited the NA's:p  The members of the church are way cool here. I want them all to come to church and tell me stories about their adventures. I just want everyone to come to church. Everyone here is so tired from work and the world, if they just came to church, they would realize how rejuvenating it is. 

Tomorrow we have transfer calls! I think ill be in Moiwa another transfer, but we will see.I want to go to an area where I am next to the ocean. Then every p day I can go fishing:)  

This is okonomiyaki at a members house!
(cabbage pancake thing that is fantastic!)

And this is us hanging with some skaters at Odori Koen on splits!

 Friday was the 4th of July! We made massive burgers! 
(They are a little expensive here, but it was well worth it:p) 

18th Week in Japan - 26 Weeks

Heyo!

So our investigators didnt do too well this week. A lot of no shows for appointments and just lack of commitment. Young san was too busy, Tomita san didnt want to answer the door, and Ran san didnt come to church again. But we were able to make some better relationships with the members. It is so important for members to help the missionaries when teaching.They bring power, experience, and a feeling of normal to the lesson. And it is way good if they can invite us to teach their friends. 

Next week on the 8th we have transfer calls! I might be transferring out of Moiwa or I might stay.It is a 50/100 for both. President and Sister Evans left back to America on Saturday and President and Sister Nakatsuka are here! They are 100% Japanese and very nice. I dont know how their English is yet, but I will find out on Thursday at the Zone Conference in Atsu betsu. 

I dont know if you all know this or not but Jehovahs Witnesses are all over the place here. They go out and do missionary work as well. Yoshikawa Choro and I were at the park looking at an NA list and they came up and started asking questions. We were able to teach the first lesson really quickly, but they weren't really listening to the doctrine. But I felt like I should have shared a scripture from the Book of Mormon with them but I didnt and felt really bad afterwards. In Moroni 10:6-7 we know that any good thing comes from Christ. And that thought was definitely from the Holy Ghost and I didnt follow it. I dont know what it would have done, but the important thing would have been to follow that prompting. If a thought or feeling you have is something that leads people to Christ, do it.

Here is a picture of the Nagano Family and friends!

17th Week in Japan - 25 Weeks

I am now 19. How am I going to BRT now?

Thanks everyone for the happy birthday wishes! I had a really busy and fun birthday! I went to Matsuriya (The best sushi in Hokkaido, but that is debatable and Hokkaido has the best sushi in the world so yeah:) and ate my heart out. I have decided that raw fish tastes way better than cooked fish. And fish eggs are way good. Next we went to the Henmi family and we were goached with pasta, potatoes and other food. Next I went on splits with Elder Denisen and ate at a cafe with an investigator family, Nanako family. After that we went and Shizen Dendo'ed (natural contacting) at Don Quijote's! I talked to a couple of seniors in highschool and they helped me choose a way cool backpack for my Birthday:p Plus I told them about Eikaiwa (English Class) and they might come! Ran san once more, didnt meet with us!

AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So we have to change his baptism date again. If only I could speak Chinese, it would make things a lot easier:/ Speaking of foreign languages, I met a Russian Lady this week! She was also very drunk....but still spoke great english!  Our investigator pool is wearing thin. We have a lot of eternal investigators, and the good investigators we have actually live in different areas of dendo, so we will have to pass them:( Young san is doing really well. We taught her the Plan of Salvation, but I dont think she understands the difference between our church and her old protestant church. So we will have to teach or review the Restoration. Soda san read the 34th chapter from Alma and wanted to know how he could improve and grow. So we told him about the Atonement and read with him from Ether 12:27. The spirit was way strong and he wants to learn more! He is a perfect human being I swear!

This week it rained a lot unfortunately. And that made everyone grumpy and not a lot of people would talk to us. SO we were wet, getting no contacts, and my scriptures almost got wet!:O But it is all ok. I have learned that the missionary purpose is not only to Invite people unto Christ, but to also warn the people. If they dont want to listen, they dont have to. It will just catch them in the next life. But it is really nice when they listen though! Another thing I learned, the deepest desires of my heart. I had never really thought about it before until this week and I found out what they were. I encourage all of you to write down your deepest desire and ponder about it. Well I am going to go on a Zone activity to a huge huge park! I hope you all have fun!

Elder Swenson

My Birthday Box!

Sushi!

 This was a Buddhist festival and this is what about half the people wear....

Here is a live Octopus and they show it and cut it up alive starting from the legs and they cut it up till it dies of pain. Mean. I didnt eat it.

16th Week in Japan - 24 Weeks

SO this transfer is only 5 weeks and time is flying by so fast! I only have 3 more weeks with my companion!:o Elder Yoshikawa is a way cool missionary who knows Japanese thoughts and cultures (because he is Japanese.)  My language skills are getting way better! I have to speak in 60% or more Japanese all the time know so it is really forcing me to learn the language! But the great thing is, I am finally understanding things at church and in natural conversation! It is really the best feeling in the world when you can understand people! 

Our investigators couldn't meet with us too much this week so we did a lot of housing and housing and more housing. Our finding efforts brought us a couple of new possible investigators and hopefully they will recognize who they are and what they can become.

Cool things that have happened this week! I bought some cool Japanese dress shoes! They like the light tan black tipped shoes. So at first I really hated them, but they have really grown on me:) And the coolest thing about Japanese shoes is that they are designed to slide on and off really easily because no one in japan wears shoes in the house. So it is nice not having to tie my shoes all the time:p Plus they were only $20:p Go Macklemore:p Next, I am now the Beginners English class teacher! It is so much fun teaching english! Especially Japanese people, because they try to say everything in katakana pronunciation and it is hilarious:p Plus the next day I helped to teach Kids English! It was like being in a kindergarten class all over again! ABC's, colors, and games! After that it has been raining, and raining, and raining. I hate rain. You cant street, people are grumpy, and there are only so many people you can call. So yeah. I cant live in Japan after the mission:p 

This work is becoming so much fun. Everytime we meet with people and teach them the gospel, the more I want to serve them.I love hearing all of your stories! They help me do my work, so write back!

Elder Swenson

Oh yeah by the way I had my first experience with Nato this week.

 It is beans in a mucus like substance and it smells terrible:)
 I highly recommend trying it:)

These are my new shoes! They are really expensive new, 

but I bought them at 2nd street for $20, and they are way cool:) 

15th Week in Japan - 23 Weeks

Hey mina san!

  So this week was my last week with Mecham Choro and I now have a Japanese companion! His name is Elder Yoshikawa. He cant speak english and I can kinda speak Japanese so its been really fun trying to figure each other out:p So this week went by really fast. We visited a bunch of investigators and re assessed if we should drop them or not. It really is a hard and sad thing to try and see if you should drop someone. But we have to do it. So up until now we havent decided to drop anyone yet, and now that I have a Japanese comp. we will be able to find our investigators desires and needs a lot faster. 

    Tomita san is doing ok. She unfortunately does not want to do anything with our message right now so we tried to commit her to pray and read the book of mormon again. Nagano San took a book of mormon this week and said she would read it. Ono san has a few concerns about forgiveness, but I think he just wants to talk more with us:p Soda san read the Alma 31 and felt the Spirit and freaked out a little bit. When we called him he said he felt something funny and warm inside when he read form the book of mormon. We had to explain the spirit again, but it made me so happy! Ran san was doing really well but he didnt show up to church yesterday and we couldnt get a hold of him:/ So we are gonna have to push back his baptism day:/ The rest of our investigators couldnt meet with us. 

  Today we are having a double Zone BBQ with our mission president cause they are leaving on the 30th and President Nakatsuka will be coming in. So we get to wear normal clothes all P day:)  Sorry today is a little short today. I cant think of anything else to say. I love this gospel and I cant wait till I can speak Japanese!

I now have a Japanese companion! His name is Elder Yoshikawa.